Which natural environment stores carbon?

Which natural environment stores carbon?

• A. Carbon sink
• B. Carbon store
• C. Bioremediation
• D. Birth rate

Answer: (B)

Natural environments that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and hold it for some time are called carbon sinks. They store carbon in various forms: forests pull CO2 from the air during photosynthesis and store it as biomass; soils accumulate organic carbon from plant and microbial matter; the oceans dissolve CO2 and form carbonate compounds that keep carbon stored for long periods. This idea is central to understanding how ecosystems help mitigate climate change, because protecting and enhancing sinks can reduce atmospheric CO2 levels. The term carbon store is less standard in exam contexts, though it conveys the same idea of a place where carbon is kept. Bioremediation relates to using organisms to clean pollutants, not carbon storage, and birth rate is unrelated to carbon cycling in ecosystems.

Natural environments that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and hold it for some time are called carbon sinks. They store carbon in various forms: forests pull CO2 from the air during photosynthesis and store it as biomass; soils accumulate organic carbon from plant and microbial matter; the oceans dissolve CO2 and form carbonate compounds that keep carbon stored for long periods. This idea is central to understanding how ecosystems help mitigate climate change, because protecting and enhancing sinks can reduce atmospheric CO2 levels. The term carbon store is less standard in exam contexts, though it conveys the same idea of a place where carbon is kept. Bioremediation relates to using organisms to clean pollutants, not carbon storage, and birth rate is unrelated to carbon cycling in ecosystems.